Are you afraid to open the door of your son’s or daughter’s room only to find heaps of clothes, toys strewn around the floor, and books scattered all over the place? You are not alone!
Here you will find the best tips on small kids room organization I could find!
Because in a perfect world our children would clean up after themselves, fold the sheets of their beds neatly every morning, place used toys back on the shelves where they belong, and stack each and every piece of Lego back in the storage box.
Alas, a world filled with children’s laughter is also a world filled with clutter. And especially a smaller kids’ room will look and feel cluttered quickly. But, there are some tools to help you and your child to maintain a somewhat organized room.
How To Approach Small Kids Room Organization: Step-By-Step
Before you start on your organizing spree, find your favorite playlist on Spotify and put on some comfy clothes. Are the kids at school? Is the baby asleep? Aka: will you have at least an hour or two to work undisturbedly? Also, check out this article on How To Declutter And Organize Toys. Great, now let’s get started!
STEP 1 – Prepare
First, grab a pair of cleaning gloves and a few boxes or garbage bags. Mark the boxes or bags with four different labels:
- Throw away – for example, stained or torn clothes or shoes with holes in them.
- Donate – this is the pile to collect all the clothes, shoes, books, and toys that still look good but that your child has outgrown. See the list of donating options below.
- Sell – in this pile, you will collect all items that can be sold or still have too much value for you to just donate.
- Store – in this pile you will collect items you want to keep for memory sake or for a younger sibling or cousin.
STEP 2: Find All The Trash
Great, you are ready for the next step. Just open the door to that dreaded room! This first step aims to get rid of all the trash you can find in the room. For example broken toys, torn magazines, and leftovers. Put them in the ‘throw away’ pile.
STEP 3: Clothes And Shoes
Next, collect all the clothes and shoes you can find. Check all the drawers, the closet, under the bed, and on the chairs. Make a selection and place the items in one of the four piles.
STEP 4, 5 AND 6: Stuffed Animals, Toys, Books
Now, you will do the same with all the stuffed animals, the toys, and the books. Below you will find some inspirational ideas to organize these categories.
Related Posts:
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The Slow and Steady Decluttering Method: How to Declutter One Drawer, Closet, or Room at a Time
10 Beautiful Small Nursery Organization Ideas
Storage Solutions For Small Kids Room Organization: Toy Organizers
Supersized Wood Toy Storage Organizer
A structured order of toys is important to create a happier environment and better playtime. This supersized wood toy organizer will help to put toys in order with its 16 removable storage plastic bins. It is made of durable wood, plastic, and metal materials. The product has a 7.5 cubic feet capacity and it is easy to assemble. It is free from BPA and phthalate to ensure the children’s safety. Compared to other top organizers in the market, this toy storage is larger by 25%. Decluttering will never be easier with this bigger and better toy storage.
2-in-1 Toy Storage Organizer Bag with Play Mat
Play is crucial for children’s development but spending multiple hours organizing toys is not necessary. With this toy storage organizer bag, cleaning and returning toys to its storage will be quicker than ever. This is a third-generation model with double storage capacity. It is a stylish storage bag that does not require a lot of space. The best thing about it is that it also comes with a 420D high-quality Oxford cloth playmat. Exploration is the heart of the play and with this playmat, the children can play and freely choose from the toys that are poured to them. After playtime, the mat can be picked up easily to return the scooped toys back to their storage bag.
Stuffed Animal Storage Hammock
The best place to store the stuffed animals is right where the children can see them. This storage hammock offers a unique and stylish way to arrange around 30 stuffed animals. It is very easy to mount and can be attached to any wall. Children form strong connections with their special cuddle toys. The product is not just storage but a home that will keep the stuffed animals in place. It will give a message of care and love that children will appreciate.
The ideal storage should not only provide plenty of room for toys but it should be safe and multi-functional as well. This sturdy wooden toy chest can be used as storage, bench, and table at the same time. Its storage space adequately measures 4.5-cubic feet and it is from a trusted brand for over 30 years. The product features a safety-hinged lid for easy and safe access. It is designed to spark the children’s imagination. With a beautiful toy chest, they can start digging to find their long-lost treasures hidden inside the chest.
Storage Solutions For Small Kids Room Organization: Book Organizers
Organizing books should neither be complicated nor time-consuming. Simple storage can promote reading as well as inspire children to arrange the books after reading them. This bookcase for kids is well built and elegantly designed to offer solutions for the children’s book storage needs. It features a stylish top display and a lower shelf to give a place for extra books. The shelf can also be used to store writing or drawing materials. The product is sturdy and can be conveniently carried around the house.
Books can enhance children’s creativity by introducing different worlds packed with fascinating stories. This wall-mounted book storage basket will inspire children to read the huge variety of books that it can carry. It is easy to install and it will not consume too much space since it only needs to be attached to the wall. The product is multi-functional and sturdy. Aside from books, the children’s stuffed animals, crafts, and other toys can be placed in the storage basket. It will give the children more reason to reach the basket and pick up a book. The storage will inspire them to start a reading habit that they can continue for the years to come.
Acrylic Bookshelf Floating Organizer
A bookshelf is home to books that can become family heirlooms in the future. To have strong and durable book storage that will stand the test of time is worth the investment. This acrylic floating bookshelf is made of a material that can be relied on. It is transparent, non-toxic, easy to clean, impact-resistant, and does not discolor. The product can be installed indoors or outdoors for it can withstand any type of weather.
Storage Solutions For Small Kids Room Organization: Storage Boxes
Unlike any other storage organizers, the collapsible bins are super lightweight and easy to assemble or disassemble. It is the simplest solution to every storage need. All items including toys, linens, seasonal items, shoes, bags, and more can be stored in this stackable bin. The product is made of 100% polyester which is one of the strongest and durable fabrics that even designers prefer. With this affordable storage, organizing and stacking up items will be very easy.
This stackable storage organizer offers a safe, functional, versatile, and durable solution to anyone’s storage needs. It comes in a clear plastic material that makes the stored items visible. The product features a hinged lid that makes it easier to access even when stacked. Individual items are shatterproof and measure 5.6″ x 6.7″ x 3″. It is safe for children because it is free from BPA and Chlorine. With this item, there will be no more rummaging on unmarked storage to find stored items and supplies.
4 Set Wicker Storage Bin Baskets
Bin Baskets are lightweight, versatile, durable, unique, affordable, and easy to maintain storage solutions. The product comes in 4 multipurpose cotton rope basket that’s easy to wash and clean. It can be used as storage, laundry basket, pantry organizer, linen basket, cellar storage, and more. These wicker baskets are hardwearing that it is suited for daily use. Adding style to any space is easy using these beautiful and trendy baskets.
6 Quart Clear Latch Storage Box – 4 Pack
Avoiding clutter and disarray is easy with these sizeable latch storage boxes. It allows the systematic arrangement of different toys and other household items. The product comes with a lid made to hold multiple stackable units. These transparent boxes are one of the best options for storage solutions. With its see-through boxes, it will be a lot easier to find specific items anytime.
STEP 7: Paper
After you have collected and piled up all the books, you may collect all other paper piles and decide:
- What to put in a keepsake box. You may want to keep a first handprint, a special drawing, a birth card, a photograph, a first note.
- What to throw away.
- What to photograph or scan in order to digitalize the paper and put it into a photo album or store on your computer or mobile phone. This way you will still have the image without the unpractical size of the original paper. PS You may do the same with toys or stuffed animals you’ll want to discard.
- What paper to file because it is an important paper. For example a diploma or a piece of medical information.
STEP 8: Take Out Everything That’s Left
You are almost there! The hardest part lays behind you. The next step is to take everything that’s left out of all the drawers, from under the bed, out of the home work station, and other cabinets.
STEP 9: Clean Everything
Then clean every nook and cranny with a soapy solution before you place the items back. Vacuum clean the floor, change the bed, and wipe the windows clean.
STEP 10: Decide How To Store Surplus Stuff
Now, take a good look at the items you want to keep and decide if you need additional storage solutions. You may find inspiration in the storage solutions listed above that work well in a small kids’ room.
STEP 11: Be Proud!
Finally, take a good look at your hard work and pat yourself on the back. You’ve done well!
Decluttering Children’s Stuff: Two Ways
When it comes to decluttering stuff of your child, you have two options. You can either decide on items with or without your child. If you really want to get rid of certain items, I suggest you are the one to choose. But if you are uncertain about keeping an item, you should probably decide together with your child. To prevent your child from wanting to keep everything (I still have to meet the first child that voluntarily wants to part with items it ‘owns’), you may present it with the following options.
Offer A Limited Storage Space
Create a certain amount of storage space your child may fill for a particular category. Like: one shelf for pants, one for T-shirts, one large keepsake box, one basket for toys, one box for stuffed animals et cetera. You get the picture. When the storage space is filled up and your child still wants to add something, something else has to go. This is a great decluttering lesson to teach your child, even at an early age. It will train your child to use only available space instead of adding more and more stuff without ever letting some go.
Find A Specific Child To Donate To
Ask your child if he or she can think of another child who might be interested in the item. Perhaps a smaller cousin or family friend?
An extreme example of this strategy is when I wanted my son to say goodbye to his pacifier. Together we made a package of his pacifiers for a little boy we knew who had just been born. We stopped by the house to give it to his parents and I mouthed “Please accept them and then throw them away” which they did of course. In the months afterward, when my son was a bit sad about his pacifier (usually when he was very tired), we would talk about how brave he had been to give away his cherished pacifiers to this little boy and how much this baby would enjoy his gift. It made it a bit easier for him.
Other Ways to Donate Or Sell
- Donate to your local preservation society.
- Donate to thrift stores such as Salvation Army or Goodwill (often, larger thrift stores will pick up items for free).
- Donate the items to a charity auction.
- Sell items via classifieds, eBay, Amazon, Facebook, or Craigslist.
- Have a Yard Sale (here you’ll find 10 Yard Sale Tips to make this a success).
BONUS: 3 Final Tips To Keeping A Kids Room Organized In The Future
- After you’ve decluttered and organized your child’s room, it will fill with clutter in no time! To help maintain a semi-organized room, you may opt to follow the above-mentioned steps at least twice a year, but preferably every season.
- You may also train your child in decluttering and organizing by setting up a reward system. For example for making the bed, donating toys or stuffed animals, throwing out the trash, and everything you want your child to do themselves.
- Before every Christmas, every birthday, and any other event where you will anticipate more toys or stuff coming into the house, you may declutter and donate items. This way, you will make space for the new items.
Want More Tips On How To Organize A Small Home?
Are you really excited about organizing your small home? Check out these articles!
I hope you found the suggestions to be useful and would love to hear back from you! Please leave your feedback in the comments.
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